The latest place in Indonesia to be compared to Jurassic Park is Nuka Mulas, a small island off the coast of Flores with a wild and exotic scenery.
It’s worth a visit if you’re commuting via Flores, going to Komodo, or planning to visit the nearby village of Yrebo.
The landscape on this island is stunning, and you can climb the lighthouse or hike one of the hills to get better views of the mountains in the middle. The location is a bit remote, but that keeps the crowds away!
This travel guide will explain how to get to Nuka Molas, and everything you need to know before you go!
Where to stay in Labuan Bajo
How to get to Nuka Molas
• Step 1: Travel to Flores Island
Start by flying into Komodo International Airport (LBJ) in Labuan Bajo.
This is the closest airport to Nuka Mulas, and there are daily flights from Bali, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur at very reasonable prices.
The flight from Bali takes only one hour. You can Shop for flights on Skyscanner.
Hiking in the Nuka Molas Mountains
• Step 2: Drive to Dintur
Next, you will need to be transported to Dintur Village, the starting point for Nuka Molas Island. From Labuan Bajo, it takes 4 or 5 hours by car because the roads are in bad condition.
Your options are to rent a motorcycle and drive yourself, or to hire a private driver with a car, or Join an organized tour.
I don’t advise you to drive yourself, because the roads are unusually bumpy and it will take a long time to get there by motorbike, even if you have experience.
The lighthouse in Nuka Molas
I visited Noca Molas as part of a road trip through Flores, so a private driver was the natural choice for me. It costs around 1 to 1.5 million rupees for a one-way transfer from Labuan Bajo Airport to Nuka Mulas.
I hired Emmanuel Saman as my driver for this trip and had a great experience with him. His car is good and he is a careful driver. He also speaks English and you can contact him via WhatsApp on ☎ +62 821-4543-6263.
After Nuka Mulas, I continued the road trip through Flores Island, visiting the sights around Ruteng, Bajawa, Indi, and others. I wrote about my entire experience on the blog if you want to read it.
Nuka Molas has a wonderful landscape
While you’re in the area, you should at least consider spending a day or two visiting Wae Rebo Village as well. It is a traditional village surrounded by stunning mountains, and it is not far from Nuka Molas, so you can do both places in the same trip.
However, if you are not taking an extended road trip through Flores and just want to see Nuka Molas, an organized tour can be a good option.
Here is a two day tour Includes transportation from Labuan Bajo, meals, overnight stay and an English speaking guide. This is probably the simplest and most convenient way to visit Nuka Molas.
We have used this company on a lot of tours and activities around the world and they are great. Highly recommended!
Drone photo of Nuka Molas Island showing the beach
• Step 3: Boat to Nuka Molas
Once you arrive at Dintur Village, you can actually see Nuka Molas Island from the coast. It looks impressive even when looming in the distance!
I arranged the boat trip in advance by contacting the owner Jose Homestaywhere I also stayed overnight before continuing on to Ruteng during my Flores road trip.
Jose lives right on the coast, and you can take the boat to Noca Mulas right from the beach in front of his house. He is friendly and helpful, and even though he barely speaks English, we were able to make it work using a translator app. 🙂
You can contact him via WhatsApp on the mentioned number His profile is on Google Maps.
Alternatively, you can go to the small harbor in the village of Denethor (Map here) And try to arrange the boat yourself, but it will be difficult to do it right away because the locals there cannot speak English.
We used a small raft to get onto the boat
The boat ride to Nuca Molas only takes half an hour, and is safe and comfortable enough despite the small size of the boat.
If you are bringing any cameras or other electronics, I highly recommend using Waterproof bag To keep them safe. When I went in May, the waves were too rough to land the boat on the main beach, so we had to use a small raft to get to the boat.
I was really worried that I would drop my bag in the ocean and ruin my camera gear, but everything worked out fine.
However, in hindsight, it would have been nice to have a dry bag in there. I wasn’t expecting to use one for this trip!
Touring the island with Jose
Visiting Nuka Molas: What to expect
Nuka Mulas, also known as Pulau Mules, is a picturesque looking island. It’s easy to see why it’s compared to Moana or Jurassic Park.
The entire interior of the island is covered in steep hills and palm trees, and there is a giant peak in the middle that looks amazing.
Lighthouse and main peak
Another view of the rolling hills
Plan to spend half a day on the island. The main thing to see is the lighthouse, and you can climb to the top, but the steps and ladder inside are a little steep. Go at your own risk. The view at the top is amazing.
After visiting the lighthouse, I took a short walk with Jose to one of the hills in the center of the island. The view here was the best! We even saw a Javan Rusa deer running from a distance.
If you want to explore further, the island also has a bat cave and several beautiful white sand beaches. Just remember to bring water, because the midday heat is no joke.
Hills and palm trees
More Indonesia travel guides
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoy this guide on how to visit Nuca Molas Island in Flores.
Don’t forget to check out our other Indonesia travel guides before you go!
